The bizarre thing is that I have yet to even mention the name, or the inane actions, of the individual responsible for all of this insanity. History will have a field day with this particular era of American politics, certain to record it as the most sordidly corrupt and perverted administration that ever existed.

And how we celebrated his downfall.

Seriously, are we to compare the Teapot Dome Scandal from the 1920's with the current circus? Or even Tricky Dick’s lying over Watergate, with the personal finances of the current resident of the White House? What do you think? It's like comparing Duane Kuiper's single career home run, to Barry Bonds's record 756 round-trippers. There IS no comparison.

It has been ten days since I went off on face/book, the episode a reasonably severe bipolar outburst, the type of which I have never subjected folks to. I termed it, in one post, as desperate times requiring desperate measures, but the fact is, my tantrum just made matters worse.

I have now disconnected from many people who have no idea what just hit them. As one friend put it,

“So your going to unfriend me for what??

That’s what’s wrong with this world… You don’t like what I post so you just unfriend me.. Guess what I did not like some of what u post. Did I unfriend you?? No I did not because EVERY ONE has the right to post what they want..

Sorry you have such a big problem with that..”

Point well-made. My response might have been, had I still been speaking to her, “Post what you want; I just don’t want to see it.” As many have reminded me since then, I could have just as easily unfollowed her, a strategy I was clearly aware of, but that bipolarism mistress, is an unforgiving little thing.

Something huge happened the other day that has helped me. I had a conversation with Small Boy, whose opinion I value immensely because he is not a guy whose cage is easily rattled. They say the person who is calmest in any volatile situation, is the one who is in control.

The teacher shall become the pupil.

Clearly, I have not been in control.

I began by boldly asserting to him that it must be nice to chill with friends down at the bar, without talking politics.

He looked at me as if I just told him that cannabis was over-rated.

“What are you talking about? We get into it all the time. How could we not?”

“You mean you talk to Chris and Justin, and you don’t end up screaming at them? You’re a better man than I am. I’d just end up going bat-shit crazy. ‘Course you grew up with these guys. I came from somewhere else, and brought a bunch of different ideas with me.”

“If we don’t talk about this stuff, then we don’t get anywhere,” was his explanation.

“You mean you talk about the ban? And they support it? How do they justify banning an entire culture?” I put him on the spot so he explained.

He and I talked about perceived, rampant free-loading on the one hand, but the recognition that there are driven, hard-working, contributing family-oriented people, also immigrating to this country, on the other hand. Even if the “facts” being presented by one side, or the other, are exaggerated, there was still some give-and-take, because both sides saw that the other side had something pertinent to add to the discussion.

And the pupil will become the mentor.

The big picture did not change, but there was one more straw added to each respective side, on the ever-present social scale of justice.

I can't do it-not yet. I can’t even keep a modicum of composure on f/b, while isolated up on a mountain, my bong just a step away in the laundry room, with everything going for me. How would I keep it together in Boomer’s, probably hammered by a toxic Coca Cola, because I dared not imbibe in my beverage of choice in this venue, Jameson on ice?

Besides, the proprietress and I have already been doing a political minuet, during which she has been the calmer of the two, I must respectfully say. Again, walking into this establishment would be akin to walking into the bunker with our masks on and tear gas in the air, and being ordered to remove our face gear.

Just how long can you hold your breath, or in this case, your tongue?

That long, huh?

Make no mistake: Communication is the key, in this watering hole and every other one in America. Too bad both sides are not represented in all venues, because knowledge needs to flow both ways.

Building walls, whether physical or metaphorical, is never going to help.

1 comment:

I have very few conversations with people who support the current administration b/c not many people that I know do support it. I am working at a middle school right now where a handful of kids do support the current admin but they are kids mostly parroting what they heard at home. Of course, it is not appropriate in my role at school to talk politics but it can be hard sometimes to keep my mouth shut.

About Me

I am a retired middle school, language arts teacher, living on Bell Springs Road, in Northern California. I started writing in March of 2011, and began this blog in July, 2011. A few Marches ago I was diagnosed with mood spectrum disorder, what old schoolers call being bipolar. I am profoundly perturbed by the fraudulent election of a clown as our President. I will continue to fight against social injustice, brought on by the greed of the 1% in our country who control the wealth, and our spineless, selfish elected leaders.